1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for processing data. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for a console interface to a data processing system.
2. Description of Related Art
Consoles are often used to access data processing systems from a remote location. For example, many logically partitioned data processing systems are accessed remotely through another data processing system that serves as a console. The console is used to monitor a data processing system as well as to set parameters and initiate the execution of various processes. A console is often connected to the data processing system through a network connection, such as an Ethernet or through a standard serial console interface. Both types of interfaces require additional hardware to exist and function in the data processing system that is being monitored or controlled before the console may be used to access the data processing system.
For example, with an Ethernet connection, I/O bridges and at least an ethernet adapter are required to be up and running before the data processing system may be accessed through a console. The use of a serial console interface requires a serial port and various I/O components in the I/O subsystem to be up and running before the data processing system may be accessed. As a result, if a failure in the I/O subsystem or in another component, such as an Ethernet adapter or a serial port occurs, the console will be unable to access the data processing system.
This situation also is undesirable with respect to system simulation. System simulations may take large amounts of resources to simulate an I/O subsystem with the processor or may require special code that would not be available in the actual product. Additionally, having to initialize the I/O subsystem and take into account those components during testing of internal processor components also is undesirable.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for a console that can access a data processing system even when a number of components in the data processing system have not been initialized or have failed.